Diet soda isn’t as healthy as you might think

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five Americans drink diet soda every day. But ironically, the diet drinks they think will help them lead a healthier lifestyle might cause them to develop serious health problems.A study done at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that people who drink diet soda run a greater risk of developing heart failure than those who don’t. The research also showed that people who drink diet soda are three times more like to suffer a stroke.Drinking diet soda also can cause kidney problems. A study at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that people who drink more soda have a greater risk of suffering from kidney failure. And the National Kidney Foundation states that drinking two or more diet sodas decreases a person’s glomerular filtration rate by 3 milliliters per minute per year.In addition, several studies have linked diet soda to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Research from the American Diabetes Association found that people who drink diet soda have a 36 percent greater relative risk of developing incident metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent greater relative risk of developing incident type 2 diabetes.Finally, the American Academy of Neurology has warned consumers that drinking diet soda can cause mood alterations. Researchers found that diet soda sweeteners are connected to a higher risk of depression. So the next time you think of drinking diet soda, think of the consequences it can have on your health before you take a sip. And if you’re a heavy diet soda consumer, take baby steps and decrease your consumption gradually. You’ll have a better chance of leading a healthy lifestyle if you do.